THE 
PROMOTIONAL WORK 
OF THE CHURCH 


Report of a Conference 
Held at Atlantic City, N. J. 
March 22-24, 1927 


FEDERAL COUNCIL OF THE CHURCHES 
OF CHRIST IN AMERICA 


105 East 22nd Street 
New York City 


Digitized by the Internet Archive 
In 2022 with funding from 
Columbia University Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/promotionalworko00conft 


Tuesday Afternoon, Match 22 


The Conference was called to order by Rev. James H. 
Speer, Associate Secretary of the General Council of the 
Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A., who had served as Chair- 
man of the Committee on Arrangements. The roster of the 
members of the Conference is printed as an appendix of this 
report. 

After a brief devotional service led by the Chairman, and 
the presentation of the tentative agenda by the Secretary of 
the Conference, Rev. Samuel McCrea Cavert, an opening 
address on ““The Basic Principle of Promotion” was delivered 
by Rev. C. C. Merrill, General Secretary of the Congrega- 
tional Commission on Missions, in part as follows: 


THE bas iG PRINCIPLE OF PROMOTION 


“For a missionary board to pass upon a schedule of appro- 
priations and to authorize the expenditure of money is a 
supreme act of faith. Where is this money coming from? To 
be sure, some of it is coming from the income on invested 
funds, which is practically assured, but most of it must come 
from uncertain sources. Your supreme act of faith is as to 
what you will get from living donors. 

“The task of promotion is to give substance to this faith. 

“You will see at once that missionary promotion is much 
more than a task of raising money. In some way there must 
be within our churches the conviction and the attitude which 
will lead the membership gladly and spontaneously to make 
their contributions and thus give reality to the faith of those 
whom they have charged with the administration of their mis- 
sionary work. 


Emphasize Life, Not Organization 


“Think what a schedule of appropriation means. It pri- 
marily means that you are making it possible for living men 
and women to take the living Gospel of Jesus and make it real 
to their fellow-men. Other money, gifts to other causes, per- 
haps you can manage as a matter of mechanical routine. You 
can heave a deep sigh and say: ‘Well, I suppose I have got to 


3 


do it, but I am not sure how much good it will accomplish.’ 
Not so with money contributed to missions. It ought to be the 
inevitable outcome of a life that is hid with Christ in God and 
which therefore spontaneously shares that life with all needy 
people the world around. 

‘““A promoter in the business world does not always have a 
good savor among his fellows. A promoter in the realm of 
which we are speaking is nothing else and nothing less than 
a preacher and teacher of Christianity. 

“One fears that we have been somewhat getting away from 
this idea of promotion in recent years. For one thing, we were 
dazzled by the successes of the war drives, and the Inter- 
Church World Movement was conceived partly under the im- 
pression that through the continuation of the war-drive spirit 
great sums of money could be obtained and a great advance 
secured for the work of the Kingdom. For another thing, the 
Church, almost of necessity, is affected by the atmosphere of 
the world in which it exists. The present atmosphere is one 
of big business. It is one of organization. It is one of external 
efficiency. Hence, unconsciously and almost inevitably, we of 
the Church have come to put our trust in organization and 
method. But religion has a method of its own, and the 
danger, indeed the inevitable outcome, is that, if you do not 
promote religion in accordance with its own appropriate 
method, you will lose your religion. 

“The one basic principle of promotion is that all the work 
of promotion must proceed out of a tremendous religious 
passion and purpose. 


Missionary Administration 


“Those who administer missionary work are obviously hav- 
ing to do with what is much more than and much other than 
a business enterprise. This is the heart of what they have to 
do, as I see it: they take the interest that the churches have in 
missions, this interest which is inherent in our religion, be- 
cause it arises out of the necessity for expressing our Chris- 
tianity, and try to give it concrete and worthy form. Here 
is a man who, out of the goodness of his heart, wants to help 
his brother in Idaho. So he makes a contribution to a mis- 
sionary society. Now the task of administration is to carry 
out that man’s intent. It is a high and holy task. I know of 
scarcely any task that is higher and holier. What a tragedy 
it is if the task be not performed with some measure of ade- 
quacy, if an unnecessary amount of the money that this man 
gives be lost before it gets to the field! 


4 


“The world being as it is, there is abroad very real skepti- 
cism with regard to the administration of missionary funds. 
I do not believe that that feeling is justified, but I am con- 
cerned that the ideals which we have as missionary leaders 
shall be increasingly high and that always we shall be able to 
look our brothers in the face and say: ‘We are human as you 
are human, we make mistakes as you make mistakes, but God 
helping us we are going to have your money go as far as we 
know how to make it go in accomplishing that for which you 
give it.’ 

“For one example, it is clear that there is an insistent de- 
mand that our work be conducted in a way that will advance 
and not for a moment hinder Protestant church unity. Con- 
gregationalism is important and we prize it, but, compared 
with the wider interests of the Kingdom, it is unimportant. 
Therefore we are glad when the Home Secretary of the 
American Board says that the missionaries of the Board do 
not have to send home for permission to engage in a union 
enterprise, but have standing orders to engage in such enter- 
prises, or when the General Secretary of the Church Exten- 
sion Boards makes the statement that they are ‘staunch sup- 
porters of interdenominational understanding and co-opera- 
tion.’ Such ideals are helping in a very real way to promote 
the interest and the support of our missions. Some denomi- 
nations can doubtless get people to give to their missionary 
societies, at least in some degree, on the basis of denomina- 
tional loyalty. That is not a safe basis in the long run. Our 
constituency will give just about in proportion as they believe 
in the inherent worth of the thing we are trying to do and 
in our honesty and efficiency in doing it. We are not to de- 
pend on the /istory of our missionary societies, nor upon 
their institutional life. Instead, we are to depend upon the 
success with which they are carrying out the purpose for 
which they exist and the purpose of those who are providing 
them with funds. I dislike to hear any Congregationalist, for 
example, appealing for money on the ground that it is a Con- 
gregationalist institution which he is presenting. Let the 
appeal be made on the ground that the institution or the 
society or the cause is one which is thoroughly worth support- 
ing, and let us keep our societies constantly up to such a 
standard that this appeal can be honestly made. 


The New Umty That Is Ahead 


“Tn the promotion and in the administration of our mis- 
sionary work there are obvious opportunities for putting one 


5 


interest or one point of view over against another interest 
or another point of view. Take the old division between 
home and foreign missions. I call it an old division because 
more and more it is coming to be out-of-date. The deeper 
students of missions are reaching the absolute conclusion 
that home missions and foreign missions are so much a unit 
that only for purposes of convenience are they at times 
spoken of separately. There was a time when, on account 
of the lack of interchange between the so-called non-Christian 
countries and America, the Gospel could be preached in those 
countries without the hindrance of an America that was only 
in a very partial way itself Christian. Today, such is the 
interchange of information through books and papers, and 
even more through travel, that the status of Christianity in 
America is one of the most vital factors in any impact that 
we try to make upon the non-Christian world. On the other 
hand, the contacts that America has with non-Christian coun- 
tries are such that, if we are to remain Christian ourselves, 
we must at least try to persuade these other countries to 
share Christianity with us. 

“Another possible separation is between what you may 
call the individual appeal for each society and the combined 
appeal for all the societies. I think that great progress has 
been made in doing away with this separation. I think 
greater progress will be made in the immediate future. Mis- 
understandings may still arise; there may be creaking of 
machinery and failures to catch and to exhibit the right 
spirit. However, increasingly we will develop ways and 
ineans, and even more we will develop the purpose, by which 
we will understand that it is a case of each for all and all 
for each, and that being in the same boat we will reach port 
or be stranded together. 

“Still another possible separation is between men and 
women. One of the tremendous meanings of the merger of 
the boards within several communions is that in missionary 
work they are going to do away with this separation, even 
though traces of it may indeed linger. I think the responsi- 
bility for the success of the merger so far as men and women 
are concerned rests even more upon the men than upon the 
women. If we men will give these women a real opportunity 
to share in the administration of this enterprise and a real 
opportunity to bring the whole church up to and beyond the 
degree of interest that our loyal women have had and are 
having in missions, we can be absolutely sure that the women 
will not fail. 


6 


The Boards and the Churches 


“But there is an even more tragic separation that some- 
times seems to be made, namely, between the societies on the 
one hand and the churches whose agents they are on the 
other, including particularly the pastors of those churches. 
Perhaps one longs here more than in any other realm for 
that sympathy and understanding which are absolutely essen- 
tial if our missionary work is really to succeed. Sympathy 
and understanding ought to come from churches and pastors. 
They should realize that because a man is elected to an official 
position either in the State or in the Nation, it does not essen- 
tially change his status as a human being. He is still likely 
to make mistakes, and just so long as human beings adminis- 
ter missionary work, mistakes will be made. Moreover, the 
difficulties of the work must be understood, the perplexity of 
the problems which are confronted, all the bewildering maze 
of factors that enter into many necessary decisions. More- 
over, it must be understood that a great deal of the manage- 
ment of it rests upon unpaid members of boards and com- 
mittees. 

“But there must also be understanding on the part of those 
of us who for the moment are in charge of actual adminis- 
tration and promotion. Constantly we must remember that 
we are the agents of the churches. Our boards under the 
control of the churches and we who administer and promote 
them are nothing but the agents of the churches. In a cer- 
tain sense they do not belong to us any more than they be- 
long to the humblest member of the smallest church. For 
the moment, we are administering and promoting them, but 
we are doing it simply that the humblest member of the 
smallest church may have a way of expressing his missionary 
zeal and passion. 


The Need of Prayer 


“Tn our thinking and in our talking and planning, we can- 
not divorce the missionary enterprise from the general re- 
ligious situation that obtains in our churches and in our coun- 
try. That situation is characterized by the deadly blow given 
to religion by the war, by the inevitably increasing absorption 
of people in the vastly heightened fascination of the material 
world, and by an intellectual note of the hour which is dis- 
tinctly anti-religious. While we are getting our bearings 
again, and are, if you please, once more driving down our 
stakes, there are two things that it seems imperative to do. 


7 


“One of these is experimentally to understand once more 
the value of prayer. With regard to prayer, it is all too 
true, “This ought ye to have done and not to leave the other 
undone.’ We have been engaged in thinking through from 
the intellectual standpoint the problems of our religion. The 
prevailing note of preaching today is probably of an intel- 
lectual cast, or else it is of an ethical cast. For along with 
our effort to think through the problems of religion we have 
been making a more resolute effort perhaps than any pre- 
ceding generation, to apply our religion to the life of our 
day. All this ought we not to have left undone. But in the 
midst of doing these things one fears that we have allowed 
the life of that personal fellowship with God which comes 
through prayer and which was so marked a feature of the 
earthly life of Jesus, to be submerged and all but lost. One 
wonders sometimes why those of us who are so concerned 
that the ethics of Jesus shall be followed in our generation 
are not equally concerned that what gave dynamic to the 
ethics of Jesus in His personal life, namely, His keen and 
vital personal contact with God, and His recourse to prayer, 
are not equally stressed. 


“Moreover, along with missionary education and mission- 
ary giving, there must be nothing less than a revival of prayer 
for missions. I can conceive of nothing that will tend to 
assure more really the right attitude toward missions than 
the habit of praying daily for definite missionaries and for 
definite men who are leading in our missionary work. For 
I am persuaded that, alongside of prayer as a means of say- 
ing religion in our day, we must put missions. That is to 
say, a Christianity that is essentially missionary may be radi- 
cally liberal on the intellectual side and venturously radical 
on the ethical side, but it will not essentially go astray, for 
what we call missions is the heart of our religion. It is the 
necessary expression of that religion and it is the necessary 
means by which that religion is kept alive.” 


PREVAILING TRENDS IN PROMOTIONAL WORK 


A symposium on “The Prevailing Trends in the Promo- 
tional Work of the Various Communions” was held, in which 
the experience of each communion in the Conference was 
presented. The general impressions gathered from these in- 
formal reports may be summarized as follows: 


Gains or Losses in Giving 


1. In contrast with the downward tendency in the giving 
of many of the denominations during the periods following 
the war, the year 1926 seems to show that most of the com- 
munions are holding their own in the matter of benevolent 
giving and in some cases have begun to make small increases. 
The most conspicuous aspect of the situation is that, during 
the period while benevolent or missionary giving was de- 
clining or remaining stationary, the current expenses of local 
congregations have been increasing greatly. 


Education in Stewardship 


2. During the past year several communions have recorded 
a decided advance in the cultivation of the ideal of steward- 
ship, including in some cases new additions to personnel for 
the specific purpose of educating the constituency along this 
line. 


The Every-Member Canvass 


3. There appears to be a virtually unanimous agreement 
upon the importance of the every-member canvass and upon 
its increasing acceptance by the rank and file of the churches, 
although it is recognized that there is still much to be desired 
in the thoroughness with which the canvass is conducted in 
the average church. While various substitutes have been 
tried for the personal house-to-house visitation, there is a 
general feeling that no better method has yet been evolved. 


The Question of Unified Promotion 


4. A general tendency to adhere to the plan of unified 
promotion which has been developing during the last few 
years was reported. In several communions the emphasis on 
unified promotion has had an influence also in bringing about 
a more unified administration, as illustrated by the consolida- 
tion of boards among the Disciples, the Presbyterians in the 
U. S. A., and the Congregationalists. At the same time, a 
feeling seems to be abroad that with the emphasis on the 
united budget there has been a tendency to lessen the amount 
of educational work carried on by the separate boards and 
thereby to weaken the support of the boards by the churches. 


Tuesday Evening, March 22 


Under the general theme, “The Prevailing Trends in 
Benevolences,” an address was delivered by Rev. Herman 
C. Weber, Director of Every Member Mobilization of the 
Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A., on the present situation 
in the current missionary and benevolent budgets of the 
churches. 


PREVAILING TRENDSWN BENPVOEENCES 
INS TELE GHORGIES 


“Has the giving of the churches kept pace with the in- 
crease in income throughout the Nation? Quite recently the 










NATIONAL INCOME [se 

Tk gy 2 us : Soe Rsk cate & 

— - : . 5 
: + > 
‘a 







ANCOME PF POS DOLLARS 













PAIGE, T 





FECEIPYS £1 GS DOLLARS 


NATIONAL INCOME ESTIMATES 


a LCOROMIC RESERICH 


: BUDGET RECEIPTS 


eas Denoniazatons 











GRAPH I 
10 


Bureau of Economic Research provided figures, exhibiting 
the advance in income of the American people from 1909 to 
1926, and thus helping us to answer the question. (See 
Graph I.) 


“Another visualization in the form of a ‘ratio chart’ is also 
put before you. (Graph II.) It shows graphically the com- 
parative rate of increase or decrease in giving to budget be- 
nevolences as reported by various denominational authorities 
to the United Stewardship Council or to the Federal Council 
of the Churches. (Note that in a ratio chart the position on 
the scale has no meaning. What does count is the angle of 
inclination which shows visually the approximate rate of in- 
crease or decrease between any two points.) 





“BUDGET BENEVOLENCE GIVING. 
Ratio Chart 


6 ose s 2 


Po 





GRAPH II 
11 


“A glance over this second graph shows three types of 
lines: first, those which show a general tendency to increase 
—Southern Methodist, Presbyterian in the U. S. A., Disci- 
ples, United Lutheran; second, those which show a moderate 
angle of decrease—United Presbyterian, United Brethren, 
Presbyterian in the U. S. and Congregational; and, third, 
those which show a general downward tendency of somewhat 
threatening nature—Methodist Episcopal, Southern Baptist, 
Northern Baptist. Unfortunately, several important denomi- 
nations—in spirit and methods, not in size—have had to be 
omitted from this graph. 





Ups and Downs 


“Tt cannot be said with any degree of accuracy that there 
is a general tendency during the last five or six years pre- 
dicable of all the larger communions. Some trends are up, 
some down. Two of the largest bodies, Methodist Episcopal 
and Southern Baptist, show serious decreases. On the other 
hand, the Methodist Episcopal, South, the third largest com- 
munion, apparently reverses the tendency shown in the others. 
The Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. seems to have dug 
in at the ten million mark, and the Disciples, while reporting 
considerably less than in 1925, are still above their previous 
average. For the year ending in 1926 (at various months 
for different communions), four out of thirteen communions 
report decreases, five report increases and four have not yet 
provided reports. 

“Measuring by bulk of membership, it may, of course, be 
asserted that the prevailing trend for the church years end- 
ing somewhere in 1926 was slightly downward, and this 
downward tendency should have most earnest consideration. 
The dotted line (in the upper half of Graph II) shows the 
tendencies of the combined contributions of these bodies. In 
general, however, the corner in benevolence decline seems to 
have been turned, and most of the lines have started up. 

“A distinction should be made in discussion between 
budget expenditures and budget receipts. There seems to 
have been a general indulgence in 1921 in optimistic expec- 
tations of budget receipts which were not supported by actual 
experience of board enterprises; this accounts for many of 
our present troubles. Doubtless many of the very large debts 
which are being carried by denominational boards are due to 
the fact that work was projected on an expected scale of giv- 
ing which did not eventuate. There were some interesting 


12 


experiments with five-year subscriptions which seem to 
have brought an element of misunderstanding in budget pro- 
jection. Dr. Barton of the Methodist Church has suggested 
that in that communion many people who pledged for five 
years paid up in full in the first and second years, and the 
projection of expectation of budget receipts on the basis of 
the inflated receipts of the first and second years was a per- 
fectly natural but a very fatal mistake. 

“A general view of the graph suggests that the situation in 
general is not as bad as we might have anticipated, in view 
of the many debts reported. The purchasing power of the 
dollar stands somewhere about 59 cents, however, and the 
total amount of benevolences, impressive as it is, does only 
sixty per cent of the work it was able to do before the war. 


Reasons for Financial Difficulties 


“An effort is being made now in other quarters to ascertain 
the reasons which lie behind the current retraction in various 
communions in contributions, especially to foreign missions, 
and many interesting reasons from many points of view have 
been provided. These reasons should have careful considera- 
tion, not only from the point of view of the foreign mission 
enterprise, but from that of the whole missionary enterprise 
of the Church. These may be divided into at least five classes: 
(1) organizational mistakes, (2) promotional and educational 
errors or shortcomings, (3) social or sociological considera- 
tions, (4) economic difficulties, (5) theological and spiritual 
trouble or confusion. 

‘First, questions of organization, of budget-making and 
budget authority, of directional control, overlordship or con- 
nectional relations have been very acute in some quarters. 
There has been a challenge of autocracy in leadership all 
along the line and a tendency to criticize arrangements for 
the direction of enterprises as well as the demands for sup- 
port from the supporting element in the Church. Organiza- 
tional arrangements have been very much debated. Several 
denominations are experimenting with realignment and there 
is much confusion and question as to the workability of the 
many new developments. 

“Second, the whole promotional and educational work of 
the denominational agencies is under review. On the one 
hand, there has been a great emphasis on budget-making and 
budget visualization. Many persons feel that this has become 
too mechanical, that pastors and churches have used the 
budget idea for insulating purposes, that centralized boards 


13 


or control groups have put obstacles in the way of direct con- 
tact between board promotional and educational men and the 
churches. There is also a strong feeling that mission cultiva- 
tion of the home church is too superficial or, where this has 
been attempted on a proper scale, it has been too costly. 

“Third, there are social or sociological currents of very 
strong influence. Young people are questioning the validity 
of the Christian enterprise. They are doubtless doing it with 
sincerity and should have their answer. Tourists and business 
interests are expressing themselves very freely in connection 
with the important news of the day from the East, as to the 
value and .results of foreign mission enterprises especially, 
but educational and relief work at home is also coming into 
question as part of the current movement for the reappraisal 
of all our institutions. The political nationalism of the 
moment which suggests to the American mind complete 
divorce from world questions or particularly from world 
movements, doubtless has its repercussion in the churches. 
Community chests, local campaigns and local institutions, 
such as hospitals, are making many and growing demands. 

“Fourth, there are economic difficulties which need to be 
carefully studied. The current slump in agricultural sections, 
or perhaps more important still the psychological background 
in the rural areas, must have some profound effect on giving. 
Some of our communions are largely rural and their lines of 
giving may be especially affected by this one class of influence. 
In rural districts, there is a new type of church activity 
emerging. Until the full effect of automobile transportation 
and radio influences is discovered, the process of change in 
rural districts will continue and will be confusing. While the 
general prosperity of the country has been extraordinary, 
some students have thought that the middle classes, which are 
on salaries and which possibly are the main support of 
churches, have not had the advance in income which other 
classes have enjoyed, and it is also possible that the increase 
in the use of luxuries, self-indulgence and the selfishness 
which is the mark of the times, have affected the giving of 
many people in the Church. 

“Fifth, it is claamed by many that the controversial period 
in which the Church has found itself has made for retraction 
in giving. There has been acrimonious controversy in not a 
few quarters with ill will and misunderstanding. There have 
been great changes in religious thinking and a general feeling 
that many sanctions in religious life and belief have weak- 
ened. A questioning of the whole approach and procedure of 
missionary enterprises has been widespread. 


14 


The Primary Need—Vision! 


“These are, very roughly speaking, some of the reasons 
which may lie behind reduced giving to benevolences in 
many quarters. Inasmuch as the experience of all the denom- 
inations is not apparently identical, separate analyses and 
discussions are indicated for all the groupings. In general, 
however, it may be said that what is needed. for the immedi- 
ate future is a greater vision. This would mean, in the educa- 
tional and, promotional field, a stressing of needs, resources, 
personalities and love as possibly contrasted with mechanics, 
organization, business and routine, a tremendous striving for 
some sanction that can be not only felt by, but expressed to, 
the modern mind in terms of faith and conviction; and a 
clear-headed and clear-sighted facing of the actual situation 
in which the churches live and move and have their being. 


“IT am not sure but what this last is of first importance. As 
a matter of fact, our churches are organized ona very defec- 
tive basis. In the Presbyterian Church, the most conservative 
estimate indicates that out of 1,900,000 people only 600,000 
are actually supporting in any reasonable or any thoughtful 
way the benevolent enterprises of the Church. The Treasurer 
of the World Service enterprise of the Methodist Church, I 
understand, reported recently that only two*million out of 
five million Methodists were supporting the World Service 
project. This seems to be the general situation in all the 
larger communions. What is needed is a fresh emphasis on 
the every-member plan of the functioning of the churches. 
This is certainly required, if the long-expected spiritual and 
missionary: revival is to appear.”’ 


PREVAILING TRENDS IN’ PUBLIC GIVING 


The prevailing trends in benevolence in the general social 
and philanthropic interests of the community were discussed 
in an address by Mr.. Pierce Williams, Secretary of the 
American Association for Community Organization, as 
follows: 


“The Association I represent is the national clearing-house 
for information about the community chest movement. There 
are now 300 of these organizations functioning in the United 
States and Canada. 


“Figures recently compiled by our association indicate that 
the trend in giving to secular charitable work through com- 
munity chests may be, if not downward during the next few 


1 


unr 


years, at least not upward. Here are some figures compiled 
from the experience of 68 community chests that have been 
in operation for five years. 

Raised for 1923, $29,666,618 


Raised for 1924, 31,940,774, Increase $2,274,156, or 7.6 percent 
Raised for 1925, 33,009,445, Increase 1,068,671, or 3.3 percent 
Raised for 1926, 34,933,143, Increase 1,923,698, or 5.8 percent 
Raised for 1927, 35,387,627, Increase 454,484, or 1.3 percent 


“T have no data on which to hazard a guess as to the reason 
for this small increase of 1927 over 1926. It is certainly true 
that competition from religious and educational appeals is 
increasing in all of our community chest cities. A few years 
ago, the community chest had a practical monopoly of an 
exceedingly efficient technique of money-raising. Now, that 
same technique, with its intensively organized personal solici- 
tations, expert publicity, etc., is being used by religious bodies, 
by colleges and other charitable institutions. 

“Tf current contributions to secular charitable organiza- 
tions are to remain stationary for a few years to come, and 
if the activities of our secular charitable agencies are to 
expand in keeping with the growth in population and com- 
plexity of our cities, it is evident that increased income must 
be found in other sources. Increased tax support for volun- 
tary charitable work will probably be hard to get. Charitable 
organizations may find themselves justified in making charges 
in certain cases for the services they render. Endowment 
funds will, however, doubtless be the source of financial sup- 
port, which community chests will concentrate upon in the 
hope of finding increased current income for community 
work. 

“What are the important factors in building up endow- 
ments for secular philanthropy? I think the problem depends 
for its solution upon the use of sound principles, and the 
application of a sound technique. The problem might be 
stated as the ‘Socialization of Wealth.’ And this term, I 
believe, applies equally to the different forms of charity, 
whether religious, educational, or secular. Individually 
acquired wealth is piling up rapidly in the United States. It 
will be used either for private gratification or for the public 
welfare. It is relatively easy to obtain money for the public 
welfare in this country, because of our religious attitudes. 
The acquisition of wealth in the United States means indi- 
vidual discipline and self-denial, militating against lavish per- 
sonal expenditure after the wealth is acquired. Our Puritan 
traditions are still strong enough to exercise a potent influ- 
ence in curbing extravagance in living. 


16 


“In our efforts at getting privately acquired wealth trans- 
formed into endowments for the public welfare, it is im- 
portant for all of us, whether religious administrators, educa- 
tional financiers, or social workers, to appreciate that we are 
partners in a common enterprise. Our natural tendency is to 
think of ourselves as belonging in separate categories of pub- 
lic activity. I doubt, however, if the man of wealth makes 
this distinction between us. More and more we use the same 
methods in approaching him for large gifts. Whether the 
object for which his money is to be used is religious, educa- 
tional, or purely secular, my opinion is that he thinks of us 
as aiming more or less at the same goal. 

“We have an interest, therefore, in seeing that people of 
wealth and public spirit are encouraged to think of their 
wealth as a public trust. This is not enough, however. We 
must not overlook the fact that legal instruments are just as 
necessary in transforming private wealth into public endow- 
ments as is goodwill on the part of the prospective donor, 
and integrity on the part of the person seeking the gift. 

“The prospective donor is not likely to make a large gift 
until he has consulted his lawyer. More and more is he 
likely to consult another individual, the trust officer of his 
bank or trust company. It is important, therefore, that 
lawyers and trust company officials be sympathetic and in- 
telligently informed about our aims and methods. 

“Tt is too often assumed that all that is necessary in getting 
an individual of wealth to transfer some of it to the public 
use is a worth-while charitable object and a willingness on 
the part of the donor to endow that object. And our court 
records are full of cases where an inexpertly drawn instru- 
ment of trust, instead of serving as a means of promoting 
the public welfare, became an engine of mutual distrust, even 
of hatred, frequently of disillusionment on the part of those 
the gift was intended to benefit. 

“This leads me to a consideration of the Community 
Trust, or Community Foundation idea. This type of founda- 
tion for the permanent endowment of charitable work was 
based on the conviction that individuals would as willingly 
pool gifts of capital in a common fund, as they pool their 
annual contributions for the support of secular charitable 
work in their local community chest. The first application 
of the Community Foundation idea was in Cleveland. In 
that city, in 1914, Judge Goff had the Cleveland Trust Com- 
pany adopt a declaration of trust by which property could 
be turned over to the trust company, in trust, the income, or 


17 


principal, to be applied to the public welfare. Such funds 
were, in general, to be left undesignated, except as compre- 
hended within the general interpretation of the term ‘com- 
munity welfare. Thus the danger of the ‘dead hand’ in 
charity was to be eliminated. The objects for which available 
income was to be spent were to be chosen, periodically, by a 
representative committee, appointed in a manner laid down 
by the declaration of trust. 

“The Cleveland Community Trust was, within the ensu: 
ing ten years, imitated in approximately fifty American 
cities. The undeniable fact is, however, that notwithstanding 
the high hopes entertained for this particular social device, 
it has failed to yield any considerable dividends in the form 
of public welfare. 

“The reasons for this failure are apparent when one 
analyzes the legal instrument through which the community 
welfare was to be promoted. 

“In the first place, the plan, as originally applied, came to 
be identified usually with some one trust company in a given 
city. Rightly or wrongly, when one trust company had “gotten 
the jump’ on its competitors and adopted the declaration of 
trust in favor of the community trust, the other trust com- 
panies failed to support it. 

“The idea, as so far applied, is weak in other respects. 
It never became dynamic, because there was no board im- 
bued with the idea that it must (a) make a program of pro- 
jects through which the community welfare might be pro- 
moted; (b) actively solicit generous gifts of capital from 
public-spirited citizens. 

“The fact is that, of 55 community trusts now in existence, 
less than twenty have received any endowments whatever. 
In fact, the only ones that appear to be functioning actively 
and distributing income regularly for community welfare 
purposes, are those in New York, Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, 
Youngstown and Indianapolis. At present, the interest in 
the community trust plan seems dormant. In the 55 cities 
where community trusts have been provided for, there must 
be several hundred trust companies. Less than 100 of them 
have so far adopted the declaration of trust, enabling them 
to accept trusts for the community welfare, as provided for 
in Judge Goff’s original document. 

‘There is another distinct weakness in the community trust 
idea, as applied in these 55 cities. That weakness vitally con- 
cerns those of you who are concerned with religious work. 
The terms of the community trust instrument, in practically 


18 


all cases, limit the use of income to that community, and to 
secular purposes. The lack of uniformity between the instru- 
ments adopted in these 55 cities is also a disadvantage. 

“But a properly drawn legal instrument, capable of serv- 
ing as a social device for putting privately acquired wealth 
to work for the public welfare, is badly needed. Such an 
instrument would be, in fact, a basis upon which a charitable 
object and the money to promote that charitable purpose, 
could be brought together for effective partnership. Many 
of us who have studied it, believe the Uniform Trust for 
Public Uses is the instrument needed. This instrument is so 
drawn that a few strokes of the pen and a gift will trans- 
form the instrument into a personal contract between the 
giver, as a public benefactor, and his bank, as trustee for 
the desired public benefaction. If this public benefactor de- 
sires to leave his gift undesignated as to the use of income, 
on the understanding that it will be devoted to the welfare of 
the citizens of a given place, he may do so, for the Uniform 
Trust provides a way in which the objects will be periodically 
chosen by a properly constituted and representative com- 
mittee. And, unlike the community trust instrument now 
effective in 55 cities, the Uniform Trust can be utilized for 
gifts to religious institutions, no matter where they may be 
situated. The essential step is, however, that the Uniform 
Trust must first be adopted by a bank or trust company be- 
fore it is in position to accept gifts in trust under the all- 
embracing terms of the instrument.” 


Comment from the Floor 


“Information concerning the present trends in legacies 
would also be of much service. Can we find out whether the 
people are bequeathing more or less to religious and charit- 
able enterprises ?”—C. H. Baker. 

Niepsieroyee. lershon, secretary of the Trust Com- 
pany Division of the American Bankers’ Association, offered 
his services in helping to secure at least some measure of 
information on the subject.* 





* The various papers presented at the Conference on Financial and Fiduciary 
Matters, held simultaneously with the Conference on Promotional Work, are printed 
in a volume entitled, ‘““Cooperation in Fiduciary Service,” price $1.50, which may 
be secured from the Federal Council of the Churches. 


19 


Wednesday Morning, March 23 


A discussion on the general theme, “Organizing the Field,” 
was opened by Rev. W. E. Lampe, Secretary of the Execu- 
tive Committee of the General Synod of the Reformed 
Church in the U. S. Dr. Lampe said in substance: 


ORGANIZING THE FIELD 


“In the Reformed body the key unit with which the 
national organization deals is the next larger unit than the 
local congregation, 1. e., the classis (corresponding to the 
presbytery in the Presbyterian Church or the Annual Con- 
ference in the Methodist) of which there are 60 in the de- 
nomination. The Reformed Church has not succeeded so 
well in securing the co-operation of the larger unit, the synod, 
which meets only once a year and whose meetings are largely 
inspirational in character. The synod has a committeee made 
up of the chairmen of the committees in the classes, which 
meets once a year, but it is the promotional committee in each 
classis which is the agency on which chief reliance is placed. 


“The promotional committee in the classis, usually called 
‘the missionary and stewardship committee,’ has the respon- 
sibility of keeping the local churches constantly interested in 
the missionary program, in stewardship education and in 
methods of raising the budgets of the Church. The com- 
mittee ordinarily meets three or four times a year. Its mem- 
bers are not chosen to represent specific interests, such as 
home or foreign missions, but because of their general con- 
cern for the whole program of the Church. 


“Each year a two-day meeting of all the chairmen of the 
classical committees is held. To this body the General Synod 
has delegated the authority of distributing the budget among 
the various classes and allocating the respective amounts. 


“The classical committee keeps in touch with the local con- 
gregation by correspondence, trying to hold it up to its re- 
sponsibility. Many of the committees publish multigraphed 
or printed bulletins which are sent to the local churches in 
their areas, reporting the progress of the various churches 
and giving other information that will be helpful. The chair- 
man of each classical committee sends to the national office 
copies of all its publications and letters, which are forwarded 
from the national office to all the other chairmen for their 
stimulating and suggestive value. 


20 


“Fach month, the receipts from the various classes are 
printed, showing the accepted apportionment of each and 
what has been received from each to date. This is sent to 
every pastor, secretary of the consistory and treasurer of 
the local congregation. 

“The expenses of the classical committee are included in 
the budget of the classis, except the expenses of the chairman 
when attending the annual meeting for the allocation of the 
budgets. This expense is met by General Synod.” 

In the discussion, it was pointed out that, in several other 
denominations, the state organization, rather than the smaller 
unit, furnishes the more important point of contact between 
the local church and the national organization. This was 
found to be true in the case at least of the Baptists and the 
Congregationalists. It was reported that the Baptists are 
sending out more and more of their material through the 
state convention and that the state superintendents are giv- 
ing much of their time to promotional work. The Congre- 
gationalists also show a similar tendency to magnify the place 
of the state association. In the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
the country is divided into twenty-one areas, each under a 
bishop, and more and more the responsibility for general 
promotion is being placed upon the area organization. The 
district, composed of from thirty to sixty churches under a 
district superintendent, is the working unit, however, for 
closer contact with the local church. Each district has a com- 
mittee responsible for stewardship, every-member promotion, 
etc. 

The Southern Presbyterian Church emphasizes maintain- 
ing an unbroken contact from the General Assembly through 
the synod to the presbytery and through the presbytery to 
the local church, each of which bodies has a stewardship com- 
mittee. The Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. theoretically 
has such a straight line from top to bottom, but regards the 
chairman of the presbyterial committee as the key to the 
situation. In the Protestant Episcopal Church there is a 
field department in each diocese, corresponding to the Field 
Department in the National Council, and an executive secre- 
tary, who is a liaison officer between the diocese and the 
National Council. 


ORGANIZING THE «LOCAL. CHURCH 


A discussion on the theme, “What kind of organization can 
be projected in the local church to give better support to the 
benevolent and missionary program?” was opened by Rev. 


21 


R. J. Wade, Executive Secretary, World Service Agencies 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who spoke in substance 
as follows: 

“At the present time, it is the women’s organization in the 
local church which is undoubtedly the most efficient agency 
in behalf of the missionary program. There ought to be a 
responsible group representing the local church as a whole, 
just as interested and as well informed as the women now 
are. The big problem is the enlistment of the interest and 
energy of the laymen, a majority of whom, it has to be 
admitted, are seriously uninformed and uninterested. At the 
present time, only about one-third of the members of the 
church are helping to carry the missionary and benevolent 
budget. 

“The Methodist Episcopal Church has begun this year to 
try to develop in each local congregation a ‘World Service 
Council,’ as the agency through which the missionary and 
benevolent program of the denomination will be kept before 
the people. It is suggested that this World Service Council 
be composed of all contributors to the World Service pro- 
gram, women as well as men, even though they have a 
separate organization. It is expected to have a chairman (a 
layman), a treasurer and four departments—Stewardship, 
Missionary Education, Literature, Finance, as described in 
the World Service Manual, issued by the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, 740 Rush Street, Chicago, Ill. This Manual out- 
lines the duties of each department and gives concrete illus- 
trations of the best experience of local churches in carrying 
them out. 

“About 2,000 local churches within the last few months 
have organized along this line. The World Service head- 
quarters keeps record of the chairman of each local World 
Service Council, and also the chairmen of its various depart- 
ments.” 


In the ensuing discussion, it appeared that several other 
denominations have tried to develop some form of missionary 
committee in the local church, with varying degrees of suc- 
cess. In general, it has been found that the pastor is the key 
to the situation and that, if he is not genuinely interested, it 
is exceedingly hard to get an efficient handling of the mis- 
sionary problem. 


Comment 


“We need to consider whether our churches are not rather 
over-organized. The Disciples have been trying to: make a 


22 


direct approach to the laymen through conducting a large 
number of laymen’s conferences, using ior this purpose the 
six men in charge of the regional areas and also missionaries 
on furlough.’—H. B. McCormick. 

“We ought not to ask the local church to organize in order 
to give us something, we ought rather to help the church to 
render a better service. Whatever committee is organized 
snould have in mind the whole function of the church. The 
women’s organizations have unconsciously done harm to the 
cause of missions by letting the church as a whole feel that 
they would care for the missionary responsibility..—Guy L. 
Morrill. 

“The women’s organizations have developed only because 
the women were not recognized and built into the general 
program of the church. They are anxious only to make 
their largest contribution to the total cause.”"—Mrs. Westfall 
and Mrs. Johnson. 


Wednesday Afternoon, March 23 


The general theme, “Unity with Diversity,’ was opened 
by the Rev. H. B. McCormick, Promotional Secretary of 
the United Christian Missionary Society, who discussed more 
specifically the following questions: “1. How far do persons 
with specialized responsibility in a single board succeed in 
presenting the entire task of the Church? How far do per- 
sons with general responsibilities for the total work of the 
Church succeed in presenting concrete needs vividly and 
arrestingly? 2. How may the interests and appeals of a 
single board best be combined with the loyal support of the 
unified program of all the boards, so as to secure the largest 
giving for the whole work of the Church? 3. What has been 
the effect of the whole emphasis on budget-making and 
budget-raising upon the development of a missionary-minded 
Church ?” 

The substance of Mr. McCormick’s presentation was as 
follows: 

EN yea Tire DPV ERSTE Y: 


“If we become impatient with the present situation, let us 
remember that it has come about as a means of remedyingsome 
very grave difficulties which arose out of the former inde- 
pendent promotion by the separate boards. In seeking to 
attain a needed measure of unity, there are two possibilities: 

“a. Unified promotion, which leaves untouched the ques- 
tions of administration. The boards get together only to the 


23 


extent of agreeing upon a total budget and the presentation 
of it as a unit. This sometimes has the handicap of not 
affording a permanent and well-established arrangement, 
which can be counted on from year to year. Too frequent 
changes in the form of organizauon and approach to the 
churches are disastrous. 

“bh. Unified administration as well as promotion, which has 
been the tendency in some of the denominations. In the Dis- 
ciples, the United Christian Missionary Society is a com- 
bination of six former boards. To bring about such mergers 
is difficult, because of the long and honorable history of the 
separate boards and their fear that their interests may not 
be so fully served under the united administration. Once 
convince them, however, that this fear is groundless, and 
union is possible. 

‘Nobody can hope to present the entire task of the Church 
at one time. To attempt it is only to create the impression 
that the task must be small, else one person could not present 
the whole. Even if one person could do it, an audience could 
not grasp such a wide range of material presented in a single 
address. What can be done, however, is to make an audience 
see what one missionary does, and thus give it a symbol 
of the movement as a whole. 

“The necessity for persistent education as to concrete needs 
and achievements cannot be exaggerated. As someone has 
said, ‘We over-estimate people’s information; we under- 
estimate their intelligence.’ 

“The budget plan is good and we cannot get along without 
it. We must have orderly processes and business-like meth- 
ods. We must guard, however, against letting the budget be 
regarded as an adequate measure of the Church’s respon- 
sibility or the world’s need. To send down a small quota is 
to foster the impression that not much in the way of vision 
and passion 1s called for. It is like trying to devise quotas 
for mother’s love. Dr. North’s article, ‘No Substitute for 
the Missionary Passion,’ printed in the [ternational Review 
of Missions, is timely. It is to be feared that budgets have 
become a substitute for missionary passion in the minds of 
some of our people. 

“The boards and their secretaries have been criticized so 
much that they are too timid about projecting big plans. They 
ought to go forward courageously and not be ashamed to 
ask directly for money. If we secure a man’s money, we 
will be securing his vital interest at the same time, for 
‘where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ ”’ 


24 


The following points were brought out in the discussion: 


1. “The budget process is in danger of killing the mis- 
sionary outlook of the Church. The Church was more mis- 
sionary-minded before we had the budget plan than it is now. 
Interest has been deflected from the Chinese, the Japanese, 
etc., to rows of figures. The budget plan has had the effect 
of shutting out the representatives of the boards from the 
churches, on the ground that the boards were being cared 
for in the quota, while at the same time the extra-budget 
causes promoted by various organizations outside the Church 
itself have been allowed to come in and, by their effective 
presentations, to secure the money which ought to have gone 
to the missionary boards of the Church. We must have much 
more education in our churches as to what our program is all 
about. We ought not to applaud the Church for meeting its 
quota when its quota is altogether too small. Such considera- 
tions as these force us to some sort of decentralization.”’— 
Dr. Schell, supported by F. I. Johnson and Miss McKay. 

2. “The experience described by Dr. Schall as true of sev- 
eral of the denominations has not been true of the Congre- 
gationalists.’”—C. C. Merrill. 


3. “Under wartime psychology, people did give to meet 
a quota, but that day is gone. They now insist on knowing 
exactly what their money is going to do. This requires con- 
stant educational processes by the boards. Moreover, they 
must not allow themselves to yield to the temptation of set- 
ting the churches’ standard on the level of the provincial out- 
look of the average man.”—Mr. Potter. 


4. “We must not blame the budget system alone for 
results which have been due to other and more deep-seated 
causes. The decline in giving is doubtless due more to the 
general tendency to spend lavishly on luxuries than to any 
particular method of raising funds.”—Dr. Ingham. 


5. “The trouble is not with the budget plan, as such, but 
with the way we are allowing it to be used. Many pastors 
hide behind it as a means of protecting their people from 
appeals which would induce them to give more generously. 
We ought not to give up the budget plan, but rather to free 
it from abuses.”—Dr. King. 

6. “Let us introduce more of the project method into our 
promotion, in order to secure concreteness and definiteness in 
our missionary appeal. The Congregationalists are trying to 
projectify the budgets of all the boards and to get each state 
to take a number of specific projects which total in financial 


2 


on 


figures the amount which it has been accustomed to give.”— 


Mr. Leiper: 


The discussion on the theme, “By-Products of Promotional 
Work,” was opened by Rev. Jay S. Stowell, Publicity Secre- 
tary of the Methodist Episcopal Board of Home Missions, 
who spoke in substance as_ follows: 


BY-PRODUCTS OF EDUCATIONAL WORK 


“Certain deep changes in religious conditions have been 
affecting all our giving and all our promotional work, such 
as the following: 


“a. The idea of religious proselytizing is under question. 
The newspapers and magazines especially reinforce this trend. 
People are not so certain about the absoluteness of their 
Christian convictions as they once were. 

“b. Many people do not have the same sense of sin that 
used to prevail. There is a feeling that people cannot be 
divided sharply into the saved and the lost. 

“c. There is uncertainty as to what Christianity is. 

“d. The authority of Biblical texts as arguments for mis- 
sions has been considerably weakened in the thinking~ of 
many. 

“e. The smug self-complacency of Christendom has been 
shaken until we are much less certain whether we have very 
much to give the other peoples. 


“In addition to the things which we have set out to do 
through our missionary promotion, there are other things 
which have happened which we never consciously intended 
to do. Our emphasis upon the dire needs of other people 
has tended to create the idea that they do not have any real 
eT We have relied too much upon: 


“a. The motive of fear, picturing the menace of unamer- 
icanized aliens, etc. © 

“bh. The motive of pity, always harping on the log cabin 
of the mountaineer, the witch-doctor of Africa, etc. Thus 
we have fostered the impression that we are superior to all 
other peoples and have broken down respect for them. We 
ought to adopt a settled policy that we will say nothing in 
print or in our addresses that we would not have gladly go 
back to the people of whom we talk and whom we seek to 
serve. The day of home missions as a charity is done, but 
as a program for making America Christian it is just at the 
beginning of the biggest era it has ever had. 


26 


“Moreover, we have talked so much about ‘groups’ (for- 
eigners, mountaineers, Mexicans, etc.) that we have both 
built up fictions about them and exploited them. A perusal 
of fifty-two leaflets published by mission boards showed that 
17 dealt with the American Indians, and yet there are only 
200,000 of them in the United States! 


“We need to get over thinking about the people to be served 
in terms of types and groups. As a matter of fact, millions 
of white American boys and girls all over the country are 
themselves outside of organized religious influences and 
ought to be regarded as definitely within the range of our 
modern home missionary endeavor.” 


Comment 


“It is doubtless easier to get money by appealing to the 
more superficial motives, such as “Americanizing” the immi- 
grant, than by encouraging our people to see that the immi- 
grant can make a real contribution to our total life. We 
have found in the Federal Council’s work in behalf of the 
Orthodox Churches of the Near East that it is far easier to 
get support for churches which are pictured as struggling and 
in dire need than to build up an intelligent support based on 
the policy of working with them.”—Kenneth Miller. 


“We ought to think of the effects of our promotion not 
only upon those to whom we give, but also upon those who 
do the giving. Too often we lay so much emphasis on getting 
a man’s money that his giving has no spiritual value in his 
own life. It is worth while to consider what are the by- 
products of high-power drives and campaigns. If we secure 
a man’s money, but leave no spiritual deposit, have we really 
done religious work?’—Dr. Morrill and Dr. McCormick. 


“If we are to have real missionary achievement, we must 
have a stronger conviction than many of our people have 
as to the uniqueness of Christianity among the religions of 
the world:’—F. I. Johnson. 


Thursday Evening, March 23 


Under “Co-operating with the Press,’ the contacts of the 
Church with the daily press were discussed by Mr. Edward 
McKernon, Superintendent of the Eastern Division of the 
Associated Press, who spoke in part as follows: 


LY: 


THE CHURCH SAND) SUE Ha D ALIS epee 


“In discussing what publicity representatives of the 
churches should have in mind in approaching the press, I 
shall not lay down any fixed rules, but rather deal in prin- 
ciples. The fundamental principle is that newspapers are 
published to sell. In the absence of endowed newspapers, 
no way has yet been found to maintain the publication of a 
newspaper that no one will buy. Nothing is more futile than 
to regard a publication as something wholly distinct from 
other business enterprises and with a mission to fulfil with- 
out respect to practical considerations. 


“Having said this, I make haste to add that this situation 
does not excuse yellow publicity. The material prosperity of 
hundreds of newspapers that in their conduct are above re- 
proach, is the best evidence that honesty and decency in 
journalism are not only possible, but profitable. But the 
newspaper must not outrun its public, and with the high- 
minded journalist it is always a compromise between his 
ideals and practical considerations. This you must keep in 
mind, if you are to deal honestly and understandingly with 
the press. 

“It is my observation that the activities of the churches 
are receiving ten times as much publicity today as they did 
twenty years ago. This has been due, in large part, to the 
employment by the churches of publicity representatives. You 
have proved very useful to the press. You tell us not only 
what the bishop said, but what he meant to say! About the 
best publicity work which is now being done is that of the 
churches. 

“Because of your expert knowledge of church affairs, you 
are able to point out to editors and the public the significance 
of religious developments that otherwise might be lost. You 
have educated many editors to a better appreciation of the 
strictly news value of church news. In my own experience, 
I have seen the space in our report given to minor crimes 
decreased by sixty per cent, with a corresponding increase in 
the room devoted to religious matters and the activities of 
colleges and welfare societies. 

“The result has been greatly to improve the character of 
the religious matter printed, with a corresponding awakening 
on the part of the public to the interest that this matter, 
properly presented, contains. Now the secret of all this is that 
you have a policy of news honesty. You ask for newspaper 
space on the basis of the news interest of the matter which 


28 


you have to offer. In the old days, the churches sought to 
use the newspapers as a vehicle for propaganda, and they 
exerted all the influence they had to persuade editors ‘to print 
this or that because, according to their ideas, it was some- 
thing that the people ought to read. Now you make it your 
business to develop what is generally interesting in the activi- 
ties of the churches and present this matter, not apologeti- 
cally, but boldly in the name of news, and it is printed, as it 
ought to be. 

“And from your experience I believe you will agree with 
me that religious news, like other news, should be required to 
stand on its own legs. The editor may say what he will on 
the editorial page, and propaganda that is frankly propa- 
ganda has its place. But the strictly news columns belong 
to the man who has paid two or three cents for a newspaper, 
and he has a right to expect to find in these columns a pic- 
ture of the world, uninfluenced by any consideration other 
than the purpose of the editor to tell him what is. 

“In recent years there has been a radical change in the 
estimation of news values. Today we are carrying on our 
wires matter that, when I began newspaper work, would have 
been thrown into the wastebasket unread. On the other hand, 
a broader view of journalism has influenced the discarding 
of much once held important. 

“T take pleasure in hitting on the head a sacred cow that 
too long has grazed in newspaper offices. It is the tradition 
that the definition of news is the exceptional or freakish. 
Every newspaperman is familiar with the witty illustration 
of this theory: If a dog bites a man, that is not news; but 
if a man were to bite a dog, that would be news. 

“That was quite true once when, with their limited re- 
sources, about the best the newspapers could do was to 
record the exceptions that proved the rule. This resulted 
in a very wide knowledge of the things that usually were 
not, and a profound ignorance, on the part of the public, of 
the fundamentals of the social order. It made it easy for 
the more clever politicians not only to lead the electorate to 
water, but to make it drink. It did worse. It created artificial 
values and false standards. It encouraged hypocrisy. By 
placing a premium on the sensational and grotesque, it 
tempted every notoriety-seeking politician, actor, judge and 
clergyman to make a fool of himself, in the hope of getting 
on the front page. 

“The rule no longer holds with those who appeal to the 
intelligence of the community. Such recognize that the first 


29 


duty of journalism is to report that which has significance. 
Daily the Associated Press surveys the universe and deliber- 
ately selects from its manifold happenings such events as are 
significant of the society of today. Then it groups these 
events with a proper sense of proportion in order that the 
newspaper reader may have a correct picture of things as 
they are—the one sure foundation for straight thinking. And 
in straight thinking will be found the hope of free govern- 
ment. 


“Today, if a man bit a dog, he would be thrown into an 
ambulance and taken to the psychopathic ward of some hos- 
pital for observation. The affair would be of much concern 
to him and to his family, if he had one, but its news value 
would be small. On the other hand, when a dog bites a man 
or another dog, it is news of importance to every person, 
particularly every dog-owner, within a hundred miles. 


“The most serious indictment of yellow publicity is not 
that it is undignified and silly, often cruel and shameless and 
appeals to the worst that is in’ us, but that it falsifies society 
and distorts the mental vision at a time when democracy is 
being put to the test through a demonstration of whether a 
free people can rule itself.” 


Rev. G. Warfield Hobbs, Director of Publicity for the 
National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church, spoke 
upon the general question of publicity through the Church’s 
own channels. The substance of his address was as follows: 


PUBEICUD ValNeW ie Chine rs 


“The holding of the three simultaneous conferences on 
finance, promotion and publicity is a happy illustration of the 
solidarity that ought to characterize these three phases of 
the Church’s work. Together they constitute a unit. Neither 
the financial nor the promotional tasks can be achieved with- 
out a proper attention to publicity. The financial, the pro- 
motional and the publicity departments are the three partners 
on whom the whole program of the Church, in evangelism, 
religious education, social service, etc., must rely. 

“We face something like a conspiracy of silence on the 
subject of religion. The word of mouth is not sufficient 
alone to break down this conspiracy. An intelligent use of 
printer’s ink is called for. This can become a great mission- 
ary for the Church. 


30 


“The basis of success today in any business realm seems 
to be the flinging of oneself into the business. That is true 
until we come to the business of the Church. Then, men 
seem to be adorning pews which ought to be converted from 
lounges into work benches. We need something like an 
incandescence of zeal with regard to religion. 

“The religious press (there’s a brother on a crutch!) is 
suffering from inadequate staff, meagre circulation and in 
most cases is wellnigh bankrupt, unless especially subsidized. 
All the promotional work needs the help of the religious press, | 
but it also needs help. There are 8,000,000 readers of the 
religious press, a potential channel of terrific power, but 
the assassination of the whole cultural press of America by 
the great national advertisers, through their insistence on 
mass circulation, has left the religious press today in a pre- 
carious condition. Strengthen the religious press. Back it up. 

“The whole business of publicity today lacks the position 
of dignity in the Church which it ought to have. There is a 
myth that any parson who is out of a job can sit in a corner 
and handle the publicity of the Church. As a matter of fact, 
it is an expert’s job. Men in the secular world give years of 
training and their whole lives to it. It should be magnified in 
the Church. The publicity department ought to be on a parity 
with every other department in the Church’s life. Today, 
this great twentieth-century power is belittled, pushed back 
in corners and deprived of initiative. It is practically a men- 
dicant at the keyholes of home and foreign missions. The 
Protestant Episcopal Church at least is awakening to a new 
conviction on this matter, and now has budgeted its publicity 
department at a maximum of $107,000 a year, if necessary. 

“Some Christian causes are now trembling in the balance, 
and their outcome will depend largely on whether the pub- 
licity is adequate or inadequate. Take China, for instance. 
Let the pulpit thunder if it will, but you will have to marshal 
the tremendous power of publicity before you will overcome 
the present misintormation about the Christian movement in 
China. Let us not forget, too, that only about one-third of 
the people in our Churches are supporting the missionary 
projects. This minority is surrounded by a twilight zone 
which is indifferent to missions. To overcome such condi- 
tions, publicity must be something more than an addendum 
to some commission in the basement of the denominational 
headquarters. To clear up the twilight zone in the churches 
themselves, we must marshal the tremendous power of pub- 
licity.”” 


31 


A discussion followed, centering around the question as to 
whether the daily newspapers and the press associations are 
giving adequate and accurate interpretations of the significant 
events in the religious world. Concrete instances were cited 
of serious misinformation in some of the daily papers with 
regard to the existing situation in China. Mr. McKernon, 
speaking for the daily press, suggested that when there is a 
lack of publicity concerning the enterprises of the Church, 
it is probably due in considerable measure to the fact that 
there has not been sufficient provision at the headquarters of 
the church organizations themselves for giving out the news 
of their work in appropriate form for use in the daily press.* 


Thursday Morning, March 24 


Under the general theme, “A Better Use of Printer’s Ink,” 
Mr. Walter I. Clarke, Director of the Department of Pub- 
licity of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A., opened the 
discussion on the topic, ““What publications are best suited to 
(a) cultivate the present constituency that supports the mis- 
sionary and benevolent programs, (b) reach the far larger 
constituency which does not now help support the missionary 
and benevolent programs.’ Mr. Clarke’s point of view was 
summarized as follows: 


CHANNELS SORSPUBLICI LY 


“The secular press is ready to receive the news material 
from the churches, but each denomination needs an expert 
newspaper man to serve as a point of contact with the press. 

“The religious press, confessedly in a difficult position, 
ought to be strengthened. In particular, the boards of the 
churches, by advertising regularly in the religious press ac- 
cording to some constructive plan month after month, could 
help both themselves and the religious press. Much of the 
material which now goes into pamphlets might better go into 
the church press. 

“Regional publications are useful for their own local pur- 
poses, but generally use little material concerning the national 
undertakings. 

“One of the most helpful forms of publicity recently de- 
veloped is the syndicated bulletin or calendar, with blank 
pages on which the local church may print its Sunday service 





* The findings of the Conference on Publicity, held simultaneously with the Con- 
ference on Promotional Work, and attended by the publicity representatives of the 
communions, can be secured from Walter I. Clarke, Witherspoon Bldg., Philadelphia. 


32 


of worship. This has now been published by the Presby- 
terian Church for three years and averages at the present 
time a circulation of about 50,000, jumping at Christmas time 
to about 200,000. It is operated on a self-supporting basis. 
The Methodists have attained a circulation of about half a 
million for a similar syndicated bulletin, which is supplied 
in varying sizes and forms. The Disciples, the Congrega- 
tionalists, the Southern Presbyterians, the United Presby- 
terians and perhaps others are also using the same device.” 

In the ensuing discussion, the following points were em- 
phasized: 


1. “To reach those not now in the church, we have to de- 
pend chiefly on the daily press. For reaching the Church’s 
own constituency, the Episcopal Church is now publishing 
“The Church at Work,’ a bi-monthly, which is distributed free 
to every family in every parish. The second-class postal rate 
is secured by putting on the pledge card of each contributor 
to the Church that ten cents is to be applied to ‘The Church 
at Work.’ It is mailed out from diocesan headquarters or 
distributed locally from house to house.’—Mr. Hobbs. 


“The Congregationalists publish ‘The Potter’s Wheel’ 
monthly. In some states it is used as the inside of the state 
Congregational paper. Local churches are encouraged to 
authorize ten cents a member out of the benevolent budget 
of the Church, to be credited as a subscription price, in order 
to secure the second-class mailing rate.’—Mr. Leiper. 


Mr. Willard Price, President of the Willard Price Com- 
pany (Advertising), led a discussion on “How to improve 
the character of our pamphlet publications, especially those 
designed for use in the every-member canvass,” illustrating 
his remarks by commenting on various pieces of literature 
now being used in some of the denominations. He said in 
part: 


Bele he eave nei eeUBeICATIONS 


“We have a blindfolded Church. We are asking members 
to give to what they have never really seen. Until we can 
remove the blindfold, we will never get the measure of giving 
that we should get. 


‘“Nine-tenths of our literature fails to fulfil its purpose 
because it is never read. The average man is not concerned 
about a world program until he really cares, and he won’t 
care until he knows. How are we to break through this 
vicious circle? 


33 


“There are a few things that the average person does care 
about, and, as far as possible, we should try to establish an 
initial contact with him at these points. 

“(a) The average person hopes some day to travel. Tak- 
ing advantage of this impulse, the Baptists have prepared a 
striking piece of literature called ‘The Log of the Airship 
Evangel,’ with a sub-title, ‘Around the World with Northern 
Baptists.’ It has been tremendously successful in provoking 
the imagination. 

“(b) The average person is interested in himself, and is 
concerned to maintain his self-respect. The ‘you’ appeal, 
based upon this motive, is often effective. It aims to make 
one feel that he is missing something vital if he does not have 
a share in the program under discussion. A pamphlet circu- 
lated by the Reformed Church asks individuals, for example, 
to enroll in one of four parties: The Do-Nothing Party, the 
Do Less Party, the Stand Pat Party, or the Party of Con- 
quest. 

“In preparing literature, write in the common colloquial 
speech (this does not mean slang) and think colloquially, 1. e., 
in terms that are natural to the average man. 

“Most of the stewardship literature now being used seems 
to be lacking in graphic qualities. It is dealing with a great 
idea, but does not seem to be put in a way that grips the 
imagination.” 

In the ensuing discussion, special attention was called to 
the danger of building the publicity appeal on too low a 
motive. It was pointed out that we ought not to be satisfied 
with any appeal which does not itself reach a high spiritual 
level. 

There was also a discussion as to the kind of posters that 
are of value. Mr. Hobbs commented especially upon the 
value which had come from using posters made by the chil- 
dren themselves last Lent in a competition which had at- 
tracted widespread interest. 


SUPPLEMENEARYs DISCUSSIONS 


An informal round-table on present methods being used 
in the every-member canvass revealed a general conviction 
that no satisfactory substitute has been developed for the 
standard procedure of a house-to-house canvass. The plan 
has been tried of receiving subscriptions at a church service 
or at a week-night supper and following up only the absentees 
in a personal canvass. Testimonies were given as to the suc- 


34 


cessful operation of these plans in certain instances. Dr. 
Lampe suggested that the new plans, however, will succeed 
only if the house-to-house canvass has laid the necessary edu- 
cational background in other years. 

Mr. Woodward urged the importance of introducing new 
features in the canvass in order to keep it from becoming too 
stereotyped. Dr. Denison emphasized the value of the face- 
to-face canvass in affording spiritual training for the can- 
vassers. Dr. White suggested the advisability of lengthening 
the duration of the canvass and reducing the number of 
canvassers, so as to get better qualified persons. Mr. Myers 
and Mr. DeLong felt that there is a decided advantage in 
making as much of the canvass as possible in the church, in 
order to associate it definitely with the spirit of worship. 

In response to the question as to the relative values of mass 
meetings or small conferences as means of missionary promo- 
tion, there was a general response that, while great conven- 
tions have their value from time to time, they generally do 
not produce results commensurate with the effort which they 
require, and consequently, in most denominations, the em- 
phasis is being put upon smaller gatherings and upon speakers 
in individual churches. Dr. Speer explained that, in the Pres- 
byterian body this year, gatherings of pastors are being held 
in 62 cities with one or two representatives of the boards 
attending and setting forth the total work. 

Announcement was made of the meetings of the United 
Stewardship Council, to be held early next December, at 
which the more important phases of education in steward- 
ship will be considered in a two-day conference. 


VOTED: That the following committee be appointed to 
be responsible for the arrangements and program for the con- 
ference on promotional work next year, with the power to 
add to its number for the special purpose of securing repre- 
sentation of the women’s organizations : 


Rev. H. C. Weber, General Council of the Pres- 
byterian Church in the U. S. A., Chairman. 

Rev. S. M. Cavert, Federal Council of the 
Churches of Christ in America, Secretary. 

Mr. J. M. Miller, National Council of the Protes- 
tant Episcopal Church. 

Rev. R. J. Wade, World Service Agencies, Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. 

Rev. W. E. Lampe, Executive Committee of 
General Synod, Reformed Church in the U. S. 


33 


APPENDIX A 


Executive Officers of the Promotional Organizations of the Churches 

Baptist, Board of Missionary Cooperation—Rey. W. H. Bowler, 276 
Fifth Avenue, New York City. 

Christian, Bureau of Stewardship and Promotion—Rev. W. H. Deni- 
son, C. P. A. Building, Dayton, Ohio. 

Church of the Brethren, Forward Movement—Rev. J. W. Lear, 22 
South State Street, Elgin, Ill. 

Churches of God, General Eldership—Rev. S. G. Yahn, Church Advo- 
cate Office, Harrisburg, Pa. 

Congregational, Commission on Missions—Rev. C. C. Merrill, 19 South 
LaSalle Street, Chicago, Il. 

Disciples, United Christian Missionary Society—Rev. H. B. McCor- 
mick, 425 De Baliviere Avenue, St. Louis, Mo. 

Episcopal, Field Department, National Council—Rev. R. B. Mitchell, 
281 Fourth Avenue, New York City. 

Evangelical Church, Board of Forward Movements—Rev. J. W. Hein- 
inger, 1903 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Evangelical Synod, General Board for Budget and Promotion— Rev. 
H. P. Vieth, 2013 St. Louis Avenue, St. Louis Mo. 

Friends, Five Years Meeting—W. C. Woodward, 101 South Eighth 
Street, Richmond, Ind. 

Methodist Episcopal, World Service Agencies—Rev. R. J. Wade, 740 
Rush Street, Chicago, Ill. 

Methodist Episcopal, South, Board of Missions—Rev. W. G. Cram, 
810 Broadway, Nashville, Tenn. 

Methodist Protestant, General Conference—Rev. Charles H. Beck, 613 
W. Diamond, N.S., Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Moravian, Larger Life Movement—Rey. J. S. Romig, 1519 North 17th 
Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Presbyterian in U. S. A., General Council—Rev. James H. Speer, 156 
Fifth Avenue, New York City. 

Presbyterian in U. S., South, Permanent Committee on Stewardship— 
Rey. R. C. Long, 415 Provident Bldg., Chattanooga, Tenn. 

Reformed in America, Progress Council—Rev. J. A. Ingham, 25 East 
22nd Street, New York City. 

Reformed in U. S,, Executive Committee, General Synod—Rev. W. E. 
Lampe, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Seventh-Day Baptist, New Forward Movement—Rev. W. D. Burdick, 
Plainfield, N. J. 

United Brethren, Board of Administration—Rev. S. S. Hough, United 
Brethren Bldg., Dayton, Ohio. 

United Presbyterian, General Council—Rev. J. H. White, Publication 
Bldg., Pittsburgh, Pa. 





36 


APPENDIX B 


Personnel in Attendance at Atlantic City Conference, March 22-24 

Mrs. Lewis ANEwALT, Allentown, Pa., Woman’s Missionary Society, 
General Synod, Reformed Church in the U. S 

Rev. James G. Batrey, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, General 
Council, Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 

Rey. ALLEN R. BartHoLoMew, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., 
Board of Foreign Missions, Reformed Church in the U. S. 

Mrs. ALLEN R. BArRTHOLOMEW, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Rey. H. R. Bowter, 276 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Board of Mis- 
sionary Cooperation, Northern Baptist Convention. 

Miss Ina E. Burton, 276 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Board of 
Missionary Cooperation, Northern Baptist Convention. 

Rev. SAMUEL McCrea Cavert, 105 East 22nd Street, New York City, 
Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. 

Rey. WitttAM F. DeLone, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., Board 
of Home Missions, Reformed Church in the U. S. 

Rey. WarrREN H. Denison, C. P. A. Building, Dayton, Ohio, Secre- 
tary of Stewardship, Christian Church. 

Rev. Raymonp L. Eprr, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., Board of 
Foreign Missions, United Presbyterian Church. 

Mrs. I. W. Henopricks, Chambersburg, Pa., Woman’s Missionary 
Society, General Synod, Reformed Church in the U. S$ 

Rey. Grorce W. Hinman, 287 Fourth Avenue, New York City, Amer- 
ican Missionary Association (Congregational). 

Rev. Joon A. IncHam, 25 East 22nd Street, New York City, Progress 
Council, Reformed Church in America. 

Rey. F. I. Jonnson, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Board of 
Foreign Missions, Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Mrs. F. I. Jonnson, New York City, Federation of Woman’s Boards 
of Foreign Missions. 

Rev. W. R. Kine, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Board of 
National Missions, Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 

Rev. WitiiAM E. Lampe, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., Execu- 
tive Committee, General Synod, Reformed Church in the U. S. 

Rey. Henry S. Lereer, 287 Fourth Avenue, New York City, American 
Missionary Association (Congregational). 

Rev. A. B. McCormick, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, General 
Council, Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 

Rev. H. B. McCormick, 425 DeBaliviere Avenue, St. Louis, Mo., 
United Christian Missionary Society (Disciples). 

Rey. R. W. McGranauwAn, Publication Buildinig, Pittsburgh, Pa., 
Board of Home Missions, United Presbyterian Church. 

Miss Janet S. McKay, 276 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Woman’s 
American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. 

Rey. Cuartes C. Merritt, 19 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Ill, 
Congregational Commission on Missions. 


37 


J. M. Mitter, 281 Fourth Avenue, New York City, Speakers’ Bureau, 
Field Department, National Council, Protestant Episcopal Church. 


Rev. KennetH D. Miter, 105 East 22nd Street, New York City, 
Central Bureau for Relief of the Evangelical Churches of Europe, 
Federal Council of the Churches. 


Mrs. Kenneto D. Mirtrer, Yonkers, N. Y., Council of Women for 
Home Missions. 


Rev. Guy L. Morritt, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Steward- 
ship Department, General Council, Presbyterian Church in the 
(Wis Sip AN 


Rev. Harry S. Myers, 276 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Board of 
Missionary Cooperation, Northern Baptist Convention. 


Miss RutuH B. Rute, 25 East 22nd Street, New York City, Women’s 
Board of Domestic Missions, Reformed Church in America. 


Rey. CHARLES E. ScHAEFFER, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., 
Board of Home Missions, Reformed Church in the U. S. 


Rev. Witi1aM P. Scuert, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Board 
of Foreign Missions, Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 


Rev. JAMes H. Speer, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, General 
Council, Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 


Rev. Jay S. Stowetr, 1701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pa., Board of 
Home Missions and Church Extension, Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 


Rev. Mrizs J. Taytor, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., Board of 
Foreign Missions, United Presbyterian Church. 


Rev. GeorceE H. Trutr, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Board of 
Foreign Missions, Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 


Rey. R. J. Wane, 740 Rush Street, Chicago, Ill., World Service Agen- 
cies, Methodist Episcopal Church. 


Rev. Herman C. Weser, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, General 
Council, Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 


Rev. J. H. Wutrre, 209 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., General Council, 
United Presbyterian Church. 


Wa tteER C. Woopwarp, 101 South Eighth Street, Richmond, Ind., Five 
Years Meeting of the Friends in America. 


Sek 


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